Around in Circles
by HobiSarang
Summary: Based in late season 1 of The 100. Clarke and Bellamy face the troubles of keeping people alive on the ground with grounders threatening them and the every day dangers of Earth. It's all made harder with the confusing feelings they have, going back and fourth, chasing each other. The story is greatly influenced by the song, Cat and Mouse - The red jumpsuit apparatus.
1. A King in your dreams

Being on the ground for a few months, with the constant threat of grounders, the weather, animals and even plants, the 100 has dwindled to barely more than half. The kids are dropping off at a steady rate, the younger ones falling to illnesses and wounds, while the older, stronger one died in their novice battles.

They are up against more than they can take.

The lost of lives has taken a toll on the unofficial 'Princess' of the 100. Clarke. She is the leader, in par with the hot headed and sometimes unapproachable, Bellamy, and the two have been high strung for days. The grounders are still a constant threat and there is almost nothing they can do about it. Fighting them off is all they can really do, and in doing that, they are dying off slowly.

The atmosphere around the camp is tense, heavy with the newly buried. Even the perkiest of the group is forlorn. Monty and Jasper without smiles and jokes, Octavia taming her attitude and smirks.

Clarke walks the grounds, gun tapping her back in a slow rhythm, as the sun dips below the towering trees around them. The looming night brings on the dangers on low visibility for the grounders to lurk in and the thought of a new day with nothing to do about them.

With a low sigh Clarke stepped into the view of a brooding figure. His eyes looking like he was ready to kill something, someone. "Hey, look. I need you to do something for me."

"What?" He barely looks at her, his chin resting on his clasped hands.

Clarke didn't falter at his uninterested demeanour, she may not like it but she is used to it… He was scanning the working members as they cured meat and sorted the edible plants. It's unlike Bellamy to be sitting while there was work to be done, even if it was just bossing them around.

"What's wrong with you?" Clarke didn't hide her tone and Bellamy didn't hide his scowl. With that, Clarke shrugged.

Signing heavily, Bellamy stood up, lifting his shirt as he did. He didn't lift it far but it was enough to show Clarke that he was bleeding from somewhere higher. "I sort of got in the way…"

Clarke almost tripped over to reach him. "Got in the way? In the way of what? A long sword!?" She tugged at Bellamy's shirt but he side-stepped her, making her groan loudly. "You're bleeding badly, Bellamy. I need to check it out."

Bellamy cleared his throat and started walking, giving Clarke a look telling her to follow. Clarke didn't much like the whole leading her around like he owned the place, but she sucked it up and trailed behind. If he doesn't want the audience then she will give him the comfort of a tent.

"Bellamy, if you don't get into a tent or the drop ship soon I will knock you down and do it here." She hissed behind him when he decides to stop and have a chat to Miller.

Miller made a very suggestive action with his hands before Bellamy gave him a look. Miller snorted and wandered off and with him gone Bellamy turned on her. "Calm down Princess, I am fine." Bellamy said indifferently.

His blasé attitude really is misplaced with blood leaking from his chest and as much as she wishes it wasn't, it was really getting on Clarkes nerves. How he can just brush off something like this?

"Seriously, Bell-"

"Hey Princess."

Clarke almost snapped when she heard Finns voice. What is with her today? Why is everything making her so irritated? "What do you want, Finn."

After the very confusing and painful reveal of Finns relationship with Raven, Clarke has been avoiding time alone with Finn for a while. The feeling that she is doing something wrong just by being in the same vicinity is putting extra stress on Clarke.

"Look, Finn. I need to fix something up right now. Bellam-"

"Clarke, please." He grips her hand and steps closer.

Bellamy steps forward. "Hey, Collins. She is needed else where." With a stern look at the shorter young man, Bellamy pulls at Clarkes arm.

Clarke turns away with Bellamy hoping Finn won't follow. "Le's go…" She mumbles at Bellamy as she shrugs his too tight grip off of her arm. She rubs it absentmindedly, thinking about the very real possibility that she will wake up with bruises in the shape of his large hand.

With a silent and very sarcastic 'thank you, Bellamy', Clarke hurried to collect some things for tending to Bellamy's wound. "So, tell me what happened exactly." She sterilises her hands. "Oh and take you shirt off."

Bellamy strips and pulls at the torn skin. "I was helping Munroe and A few guys with some hunting gear. They were shifting them after-Ow!" He flinches as Clarke rubs alcohol on the gash. "We were shifting them as one of them sliced me. No harm, no foul"

"That is really the wrong expression for this." Clarke mumbles and looks at the very real harm to the foul. "You need to be more careful, Bellamy. We can't have to out of commission…not with what going on."

"Is that your way of saying you need me, Princess?"

" _We_ need you. We all do." Clarke clears her throat, frowning at the all too cocky male on her makeshift med table. "It's pretty deep…You can't lift things for a while. You stitches will come out if you do."

Bellamy grunted, letting Clarke know he heard her but his mind is obviously somewhere else. Clarke didn't worry about making sure he heard right and continued her work. She has learnt by now that Bellamy does as he pleases, there is no sense in trying to force him into anything.

By the time she finished with his stitches, Bellamy had already asked for Octavia to come see him. She worried over him for a minute before rushing out for some plants to help his healing, at Clarkes request.

"You know what, Princess?" Bellamy grumbled as he tugged his shirt on. "You are far to bossy…not very approachable." He gave her a pointed look, but there was something hidden in his dark eyes.

Clarke crossed her arms tightly. "Says you, the king of orders and glares." She shoots back, trying to keep her frown up.

Bellamy hopped onto his feet and walked up to Clarke, close enough to hear her light breaths and feel it on his neck. He took notice again that she was a little short. "You think I'm the king then?"

Now Clarke knew he was being a smart ass for sure. "Oh yes, the King of the Earth." She bowed sarcastically and turned away from him.

"I'll remember that, Princess!" Bellamy called out after her once she left the drop ship. A breathless laugh escaped him as he thought about it. _King, huh?_

As she walked away, heading for her tent for a new shirt that doesn't have Bellamy's blood on it she sighed. Clarke heard his call to her and couldn't help a cheerful grin from taking her face. _King…in your dreams, Bellamy…_


	2. Training and Touches

The next few nights pass without incident but the stress didn't lower for anyone one of the remaining 100. There was talk about having some sort of party soon. Something to boost morale and spirits, but Bellamy was fast to call attention back to the important things. Like staying alive. Clarke was thankful that he took it on himself to do that so she didn't have too.

With almost no injuries occurring recently, Clarke has been doing more work around camp, more scouting and more training. And with all that, came Bellamy. Clarke was fine with spending time with Bellamy, for the most part, he wasn't so bad, but it is different when it was one on one. Luckily, with his stitches, he is out of commission when it came to physical fighting, so he was doing to do gun training only.

The first time they trained –unofficially- together was the day he almost bailed on them and left Clarke to handle these people alone. Luckily, he didn't. But before they travelled back to camp they had found the guns. Bellamy had tried to teach her and his soft touches, awkward speech and bad cover had not escaped Clarke. Then there was the thing with Dax. She had to comfort him after he killed the kid. He was devastated, but he hasn't let anyone else know about it, she was the only one to see his cry, the only one to hear about his mother and what he is feeling inside after all this. She didn't miss the looks he was giving her, like she was saving him from something she couldn't know, and she didn't miss the way he kept his touching her hand or arms, her back and shoulders, when ever he could as they walked back to camp together... She saw it, felt it, but said nothing. She was just as confused by it as he.

Clarke doesn't was a repeat of that. Not caring what it was back in that bunker, she wants it to stay back there.

What's worse is that Finn has been more present and much more obvious with his attempts to make amends with Clarke. The problem is, despite what Bellamy might say, Finn doing this is getting on his nerves as much as it is Clarke. Finn has even caused a fight between Bellamy and Clarke, ending in Bellamy yelling at her and in turn, Clarke yelled at him until the two had to be separated by others. They have been off each other for days now.

The good thing is that Octavia is pretty much always present during any training that involved Bellamy. She seems to like helping out with the training and since she started her thing with Lincoln, she has become a better warrior than all of us.

Today was an exception. Today, it's only Bellamy. He was already looking down the gun, aiming at a makeshift target on the trunk of a large tree. Being a hot day, Bellamy has taken his shirt off, much to Clarke's annoyance.

Clarke ready's herself before making herself known to him, plastering on a smirk and building up the sass meter in her head. "Shouldn't the King be giving the orders from his tower? Not stinking up the forest without clothes on?"

Bellamy let out a shot, hitting the edge of the drawn on bullseye, then lowers the weapon. "Shouldn't the princess have people waiting or her every whim? What about the ever valiant Finn…"

Clarke almost felt the verbal slap in person. "Don't start, please."

"Yeah." Bellamy lifted the gun again and without really aiming he shot. Again and again...

Clarke marched towards him, pushing her legs faster as the jitters made her clumsy. The sound of the gun still makes her nervous. "Stop, Bellamy." He wasting bullets and he knows it.

Though he does stop and he turns to Clarke slowly. "I don't think training today is a good idea." With that Bellamy drops the gun to his side. "Why don't we pick it up tomorrow?"

Clarke is dressed in semi-long pants, a singlet and the best shoes she could find. She prepared herself for more training today and she expected to work in close quarters with Bellamy. There is no way she is going to waste the day after that.

"No, we train today." She eyed Bellamy as her hand slid down his wrist, searching for the gun. "If you don't like that, then I will train alone." Her fingers brush the gun and he gives it up to her without looking away from her.

"I'm not leaving you alone with a gun, Princess." He grinned. "If I remember correctly, you seemed to like the rush a lot." He spoke softly but his voice is throaty as he brings up the one situation Clarke didn't want to think about while alone with Bellamy.

Clarke makes a noise to accompany her indifferent shrug. "Don't act like you don't like it, just like all the others that have used them." Clarke looks away from his dark eyes. He is too close and she suddenly needs distance between them. "We all feel that rush."

"I think I know what you mean, Princess." Bellamy grumbled as he steps a few paces behind her. "Okay, so hold the barrel as steady as you can, breath out when you find the right spot to aim at and…shoot"

She does. The bullet flies into the wood. Clarke grins, spinning around to face Bellamy. "Well, look who can shoot better…" She points at herself in an exaggerated motion, mouthing 'I CAN!' very obviously.

Bellamy snorted. "Yeah, can it, Princess. Who's the one with stitches in their side? Try again." Clarke puts a lid on her smart ass-ness and takes aim again, smirking as the bullet his the bullseye.

The training ended when Bellamy's stomach made a record-breaking growl and declared it was time for food. The guys here seem to eat so much, Bellamy is no exception…that man can eat! Though, to Clarkes surprise and pleasure, he often gave up some or all of his rations to others. He doesn't like it show it, but he cares a lot.

"Bellamy?"

"Hmm?" He has a mouth full of food as he turns to look at the blonde sitting beside him.

Clarke holds in her laugh as she zeros in on a piece of meat on his bottom lip. Before she says anything more and before she knew what on earth she was doing, her thumb was brushing the meat from Bellamy's lips, softly.

Bellamy froze under her hand and suddenly Clarke stands so fast that she almost falls over Monty on her left. "Oh…my…um Bellamy. I'm sorry about that. There was something…it doesn't matter." Clarke laughs awkwardly and takes a few side steps, gaining distance from the staring man. "I'll talk to you later."

"Wait, Clarke!"

Clarke swore under her breath at the sound of Bellamy's call and hurries her feet, scooping herself into her tent fast, bowling herself over into her thin, hard 'bed'. _'What the fuck was that?!'_

Bellamy stands, staring at where Clarke turned and disappeared, his lips tingling from where her hand brushed it. _'What the fuck was that?'_

Clarke almost had to call out for someone to force her out of her bed the next morning. She dreaded the fact that she touched Bellamy's lip, but what makes the whole thing so much worse is that she ran from him, making it seem so much bigger. She should have just laughed it off or made a joke about him being so messy or something.

Now she has made it awkward between Bellamy too. Finn is hard enough to handle, she doesn't need to do this with Bellamy as well.

"Hey."

Clarke jumps, making the most pathetic squeak noise in the process. Trying her best to ignore the nagging embarrassment that is haunting her, she turns on him. "What?"

Bellamy raises an eyebrow. "Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." He smirks and reaches towards her face. He touches her forehead with is fingertips, dragging them lightly across and brushing her hair from her face and around her ear. "You look…" His eyes dance from one eye to the other and she stares right back. "…horrible. What happened last night."

Just like that, whatever spell he had her under was broken, broken and completely forgotten about. Clarke slaps his hand away roughly. "You're a gentleman, Bellamy." Clarke makes a mental note to starts braiding her hair before sleeping.

Bellamy smirks as he turns away. "Training again today, come meet me in ten." He waves without looking back. "Looking forward to it, Princess."

Clarke groaned. _'There is no way I am going to that training session…'_


	3. Avoiding isn't the answer, Booze either

When Clarke left her tent, ready for the day, she opted for some sorting work with Monty and Jasper instead of training with Bellamy. In return, she earns glares and the cold shoulder from Bellamy for the day after he came back from standing in the forest, waiting for her to come. Apparently he was there alone again.

At first she was pleased that he was ticked off with her, but after a little thinking she started going over the things that could have happened; Like maybe he reopened his wound or shot his leg or something, or worse, the grounders found him.

Before long, Clarke had wrestled up some courage to face him. She knew she is acting childish and a little reckless with leaving him out there alone, but somehow facing him seems to be harder than ever.

Clarke couldn't find him and asked around, hoping someone can help find the missing man before the bad thoughts start making her too nervous. Miller told her he was looking for her too, but there is something off about the young man. With a silly grin, Miller waved towards the drop ship, telling her he was waiting in there for her.

She eyed Miller for his weird attitude but thanked him before looking for Bellamy in the drop ship again. The latch was down so he obviously didn't hear her the first time she came in and called out for him.

"Bellamy?" Clarke grates out as she shoves the latch open and climbs the last of the ladder. She stops him lounging against the wall looking very sleepy.

"H-e-e-e-e-y, Princess!" He grinned, but it was nothing like his usually effortless smirk, it was goofy and sloppy. "Come 'ere!" He reached up and wiggled his fingers for her to come closer.

Clarke immediately pulls up a guard. He is either on something or playing a very good part in something very weird. "What is wrong with you?" She came closer but stays well out of reach, not that his slouch looked like he was going anywhere quick. Clarke would be down and outside before he even stood up right.

Bellamy snorted. "Someone wanted to play a drinking game up here…wasn't my idea." He shook his head heavily then giggled.

Clarke suddenly realised Miller smelled of alcohol, too. She frowned lightly, not really caring who thought it was a good idea. "Why were you guys drinking?" Why drink? At this time in the afternoon as well…there are important things to get done.

Bellamy giggled again. "Is the princess angry with me?" He looked around the room. "Yell at me then! No one else will hear you! Say what you need to!" He raised his voice but he wasn't angry. His eyes looked…playful, amused.

Clarke scoffed as it clicked. This is the first time she has seen him drunk. Monty has brought out the moonshine a few times and even Clarke has gotten on it a few times, like on unity day…but Bellamy…he steered clear.

Suddenly finding the whole thing very funny, Clarke walked over to him, crouching in front of the drunken man. "Bellamy, you're drunk…How about you go back to your tent for a sleep?"

Bellamy snorted again. "Why should I?" He stomps to his feet and tried his drunken best to look stern. "I don't need to listen to you." He is suddenly a little hostile, the playful air that was around him is gone, replaced with irritancy and a glare.

Not wanting to fight with him, Clarke smiles softly in hopes to derail his angry train of thought. "Hey, Bellamy…you don't need to then." She can see the stumbling in his stance. He is far drunker than Clarke first thought. "How about we hang out for a while then?"

Bellamy eyed her then smiled. "Sure thing, princess." He gripped her wrist and pulled her closer. "Let's…hang…out." He slowly murmured in a deep, rough voice. Clarke took a few seconds to jump away from him and Bellamy laughed.

"Seriously, Bellamy. How about I get you to bed?"

"Oh, straight to the point, Princess." He giggled again and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. He snorts and begins laughing, taking a step back from her.

Clarke tries to hide the red flush she could feel coming on at his teasing. A flush that gets worse as Bellamy tugs his sweaty shirt off.

"Hold up, keep your clothes on." Clarke almost chokes on her words watching his thick arms crossing, pulling the fabric up and revealing his impressive chest, abs... She frowns. "What are you doing?" She knows it has been hot lately, and even hotter in the drop ship…but he doesn't need to strip.

Clarke can't help but look down his body. There is no denying that he is an attractive man and Clarke isn't a robot, she has noticed. But right now, with sweat glistening on his skin and his chest on full display…

She looks away.

Bellamy rubs his chest with the wadded up shirt, attempting to get rid of some sweat. "So, Why are you here anyway?"

Clarke opts for glaring at the wall instead of him. "Because Miller told me you were looking for me…apparently not though." She trails off into a mumble, realising just how uncomfortable this whole thing is.

Bellamy swore under his breath. "I'll kill that idiot next time I see him." He grumbles to himself and takes a deep breath. "Look, I wasn't looking for you, so just go."

Clarke almost tells him to suck it, but takes a breath before answering. She knows he is drunk so his manners are worse… "Okay, well I was looking for you, so hear me out. I'm sorry I bailed out on training early today. I was just…thinking about things. I needed some time to do that." She clears her throat. "So, I'm sorry, Bellamy."

With that, Bellamy smiled. "Yeah, that was pretty shit…next time maybe send someone to tell me you bailed on a date." He smirks.

Clarke snorted. "Don't use date, it was a scheduled training session." Clarke tries washing all playfulness from her attitude and crosses her arms.

Bellamy laughs. "I know that, but I saw your face go red." He pointed in circles at her. "You are too easy to embarrass sometimes, Princess." Bellamy comes closer, looking into her eyes, and reaching for her face. "It's different when you are embarrassed…you're more…"

Clarke dodges his hand and almost falls over the latch. "I'll catch you later, Bellamy. Get some rest. We need you down on the ground. You never know what might happen you there." Clarke was speaking so quickly, in hopes to get out, that she worried he didn't catch it all in the drunken state. "See you out there." She said awkwardly and disappears down the hatch. _'What is wrong with me? It's Bellamy, for god sake...'_

Bellamy stuck to pacing the drop ship, brooding over his actions towards Clarke and her reaction to them. She could be mad at him now…they could be worse off now, all because he got a little drunk and said some stupid things and tried to touch her face again. But who can blame him…he isn't blind to her beauty…who wouldn't want to touch her? _'What is wrong with me? I can't do this, It's Clarke…'_


	4. Pain and Berries

Clarke decides that going for a quick scout would clear her head after the weird encounter with the drunken Bellamy. She had sent Octavia to take care of him while she left camp. The last thing she needs it for him to open that wound or hurt himself some other way.

The forest is growing darker and the gun on the back seems heavier than usual with the real possibility that it could be used to kill someone out there. Clarke scanned the area, seeing nothing as she circles the camp. She has passed two other boys doing the same scout, telling them to go inside soon, like she will.

The night is not safe in any sense of the word on the ground and she doesn't want the fear of someone on the outside of the wall. The stations inside the camp are high and can see better, they need to be up there soon.

Being alone out in the dank forest causes her mind to wander. And recently it has been wandering to a specific man, older than all the others with her, dark eyes and hair…

Clarke groans in irritancy as his very aesthetically pleasing body comes to mind. Some how he has still managed to keep up his physique on the ground, with less food and no gyms. Clarke wonders if there ancestors kept good bodies on the ground like his without gyms. They had a lot more food and facilities making everything easy…so… ' _Probably not…'_

With a kick at a rock on the ground, Clarke muttered about wanting to train with Octavia or someone else over Bellamy. There has been some sort of pressure between the two of them for a little while now and every minute they spend together is gets worse.

Clarke knows it's nothing serious, she is just feeling a little lonely and used after Finn. She can't seriously think there is anything between her and Bellamy. He is rude and loud and arrogant… just because he has a hot body and the sweet smile that never seems to completely fit in with his ass attitude well, doesn't mean that he is on her list to get close to. He's…Bellamy.

After Octavia convinced Bellamy to go back to his tent, he has been wide-awake and thinking of Clarke. He had to say something so stupid, reach for her and scare her away.

Well…why does it matter, actually? Why does he care in the first place?! It's Clarke, she is a big girl, and she can take care of herself. She doesn't need him to come make her feel better after Finn hurt her. Especially when he doesn't know how…and to try when he is drunk. Stupid.

But Bellamy hates it…he hates seeing her look at him when she thinks no one is watching, and seeing the pain in her eyes. It's more than just hating it, it's disturbing to see. A face like hers shouldn't ever look like that.

He hates Finn for hurting her like he has. What makes it worse is that the asshole is still trying to make amends, with the long time girlfriend watching his every move. He is shameless.

Speak of the devil… Finn is calling out to Jasper and Bellamy hears him asking for Clarke. Anger bubbles up at the mention of Clarke. _'You have no right talking about her…'_

"Have you seen her? I haven't seen her in a while now…" Finn continues as Bellamy stomps out of his tent.

It took a lot of self-discipline to not knock Finn out when he says he needs to talk to her alone. "What's happening?" Bellamy keeps his voice deep and stern. "Where's Clarke?"

Finn turns on him and sighs. "I haven't seen her in hours…" She left camp a while ago… I thought she would be back by now. It's getting pretty dark out there…"

A girls scream. Bellamy has never heard her scream before, but it curdles his blood and his chest empties. "Get the guns! NOW!" He roars and bolts for the exit. _'Clarke!'_

Clarke can see her vision getting dark, blurry as she lies on her back, deep in a pit. Her ears ring with impact of the fall and her scream that was abruptly cut short is still hovering in the air when she landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

"What…happened?" She whispers as voices yell for her. They sound so far away. Where are they? She tries to keep her eyes open but something blocks out the little light from the top and her mind goes blank.

Clarke wakes to pain, pain and pacing. Someone is pace beside her while another pulls something tighter around her legs. Awareness comes slowly be she realizes that she is tired down…and someone is hurting her leg, bad.

A scream escapes her lips before she can stop it, her eyes flying open. "Get off me! Let me go!" She shifts suddenly but loses her ability to breath, to see, as pain wracks her body. "My leg…" Clarke weeps breathlessly, literally blinded by pain.

"Clarke, hey… hey, hey, Clarke, Hey come on..." A hand grips her face, holding her head still. "Come back…it's okay. Breath."

"Jasper?" Relief floods her, revitalizing her body. Vision comes back to her, but so does more pain. Clarke groans, tears leaking from her eyes. "What happened? What is wrong with my leg?"

"It's broken." Finn stopped his pacing beside her and comes close. "We found you in a pit. Unconscious." He looks down at her leg. "You broke it from the fall." He pats her hand. "We are trying to wrap it."

Clarke whimpers as Octavia and Monty works over her left leg. She keeps her eye on Finn's not wanting to see the damage just yet. "The bone didn't break skin, did it?"

"No." Bellamy stomped into the drop ship, shoving past Finn and he quickly nodded at Octavia. "No, it didn't. You can barely tell it's broken. I…" He swallowed, and closes his eyes for a second. Whatever he was going to say is disturbing him. "I had to realign it though."

Clarke's eyes widened. "You did? Wha…how?" Clarke tried not to think of all the ways that could have gone wrong…of all the ways he may have made it worse.

Bellamy swallowed again, looking away from her. "You were crying…even while you were unconscious…I should have…" He clenched his jaw tightly. "Well, I looked at your other leg and saw how crooked the left one was…so I just…pulled." He closed his eyes. "I felt the bones moving...I.."

Clarke tried not to react badly, but instead reach for his clenched hand. "Thank you, Bellamy." She tried for a smile but knows it was nothing better than a pained grimace. "You did well."

With tears rolling down her face, she still tries to comfort him, smile at him. Bellamy clenches his jaw again. "Clarke…I should have been scouting, not you."

Clarke tries to laugh but it quickly turns in to cry. "Don't start. You didn't do this, Bellamy." She gasps in pain. "Okay…I need some drink, Jasper?." Finn hurries for the moonshine. "I said Jasper…" Clarke watched Finns eyes darken but without saying anything he nodded and left the drop ship.

Jasper was quick to tip a cup to her lips and Clarke was quick to drain it. She gasped for more and Jasper filled it again. After Clarke tells Octavia and Monty how to properly split her leg, She has more moonshine and passes out, but not from the alcohol.

Bellamy stays by her side, with guilt assaulting him, while she rests. But only after he ran the area again with some people. If he hadn't had a stupid moment, a moment that is so unlike him, he would have been the one to go scouting, or at least sent someone else to save her from doing it…she wouldn't be in so much pain…

Clarke doesn't wake until the early hours of the morning, the temperature still cold and the sky still very dark. She whimpers before her eyes even manage to open.

Voices became clearer as the pain woke Clarke up further. Suddenly Monty popped up from a bed on the floor, hurrying to her side. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

Clarke clears her throat, trying not the focus on the intense pain in her leg. "Some water, please."

With very slow movements, Monty helps Clarke sit up, stuffing bags and blankets behind her to try to get her comfortable. "Here." He tips the cup to her lips. "How's the pain? I think we have some medicine still from the exodus ship crash?"

Clarke shakes her head. "There is some things left, not much though. I don't need anything. Thank you." Monty nods and sits down on the stool beside her. Clarke drinks the entire cup and sighs. "Why aren't you asleep?" Clarke noticed the lake of light so it's obviously late.

Monty shrugged. "I was watching over you." He clears his throat. "We're taking shifts, Jasper is asleep down over there, too."

"Hey." Bellamy called out as he entered, Octavia strutting in after him, her hair braided up like the women of the grounders. She's been with Lincoln again.

"Hey, Clarke. How are you feeling?" Octavia hurried over to her and held something up. "Lincoln gave me this. It's for the pain." She opened the little coarsely weaved bag, spilling out little berries into her hand. "He said they are pretty strong. Two or three will do you for a few hours."

Clarke eyes the berries, worried that they may not agree with the bodies of someone from space. "Thank you, Octavia, and cane you tell Lincoln I said thank you as well?" She smiles that the younger girl. "My leg…you did a really good job." Clarke nodded at Octavia, wanting her to know how grateful she is to have her help.

Octavia nods back. "No problem, I just did what you taught me." She smiles as she feed some reddish purple berries to the injured leader. "Okay, that should do you for now." She turns on her brother. "Don't keep her up, Bell." Octavia throws her head to the door, indicating that Monty's shift was up. "Get Jasper, lets go."

Monty eventually got Jasper up and out but not after a lot of mumbled complaining from Jasper and a but of heavy lifting for Monty.

The silence that followed the three leaving was thick and even Clarke's pain didn't make her cry, the after taste of the berries were making her mouth water though.

It is painfully obvious that there is something going on with the two of them and it seems neither of them want to address it.

"I'm tired…" Clarke muttered after a minute of nothing.

"Same."

She turns her head to him and he was looking at her, eyes dark and brow furrowed. "Go back to your tent, Bellamy." She sighed, turned her head away. "I'm fine by myself."

She heard him get up but he hesitates, making Clarke want to turn around and look at what he is doing. But before she builds up the courage to move though the pain again, she hears him leave.

Clarke frowns, but not thinking much of it. Bellamy isn't the best with words sometimes so she brushes it off. He was probably really tired.

It wasn't hard to forget about him though, with the aching in her leg. _'Now I have to make sure nothing goes wrong with my leg…'_

Clarke falls asleep with the thoughts of being useless plaguing her like the pain from her leg and the bitter taste of those mystery berries.


	5. His eyes are haunting, but his electrify

It's been only few weeks since Clarke had broken her leg and she has already lost her temper with it multiple times, each time ending in her hurting herself further and someone having to take her back to the drop ship for the night.

This time, Bellamy watches her as she yells at a group people and them yelling back. They are fighting over whom goes out on the scouting shift and who needs to stay back and do more meat work.

Clarke, for some unknown and very stupid reason, thinks she is ready to go out. She wants to look for more pits and mark them or ruin them so no one else will fall in and suffer her fate.

Of course, everyone is telling her she can't go. She may be on some crutches make of branches and ruin fabric, managing to get around by herself (for the most part), but she is no case fit for scouting. Bellamy can't help but think she is a little delusional.

Clarke suddenly looses her balance and stands on her bad leg (again) she falls down and swears very colourfully. The guys she was arguing with try to help her but she swats them away. Being prideful and a little mean, they tell her too shove it where the sun doesn't shine and walk away.

Bellamy shakes his head as he goes to stand in front of her. "Clarke. Do you need help?" He knows she does and she wont be going anywhere without someone aiding to her, but he thought he should ask before touching her.

The two have been on weird terms for a while now, probably since that time they found the guns in the bunker. It seems to only be getting worse too.

Clarke groaned, tears falling rapidly and she didn't say a thing, only lifted her hand to him. Bellamy quickly hooks his arm around her and holds her hand around his shoulders. "Ready?" He didn't wait for her answer, he just pulls her up and let her get her crutches back under her.

"You know what, princess, you are going to make that leg worse by doing stupid things like this. You know you can't go out there." He sighed. "Not yet."

Clarke sniffled. "I need to do something!" She shot a look at a few onlookers. "I feel so…"

"Useless?"

She eyes Bellamy, ready to aim her unjustified wrath on him. "Yes." She lets him lead her through the camp, not caring where they were going. "I just…need to do something or I'm going to go crazy."

"Clarke, you are going to send us all crazy if you keep trying to do things in your condition." Bellamy stops in front of a tent.

"Why are we at your tent?" Clarke gritted through her teeth, the pain making her dizzy.

Bellamy slowly let her stand and undoes the zipper. "Because it's the closest out of ours and the drop ship. Get in." He helped her in and lay down. "Stay here. I will get you some water and food." He eyes her. "If I see you walking around again, I will tie you down." He was not smiling and there's no joke in his face but it makes Clarke smile anyway.

"Like to see you try, Bellamy."

He eyes her and the room. "See you soon."

Clarke's face heats up and she almost looses her temper again. Having this injury is really taking its toll on her emotions.

After Bellamy gave her some food and water, she asked to be helped into her tent. He nodded and got Octavia to help her. Apparently he was needed elsewhere.

"So, how's my brother?" Octavia asks as they sit in Clarke's small tent. "His wound looks good at least."

Clarke nodded. "Yeah, he is lucky, he heals really well." She hissed through her teeth, the pain getting to her. "But he needs to be careful. I am sure I have patched him up more than anyone else in this camp." She smiles. "He needs a body guard."

"Yeah and apparently you want to play hero and run around with your leg snapped up." She scoffs. "If you ask me, you both need body guards."

Choosing to ignore the playful jab, Clarke looks towards the door. "I need you to get something for me." She breathes hard, hurting badly. "There is a book in the drop ship. It's old, something from before the bombs, and pencils."

Octavia nodded. "Okay, where do I look?"

"Under the cot, it should be on the floor there." Clarke smiled softly. "Please." She smiled as Octavia left, looking for the med log she keeps under the cot. The log also doubles as her drawing book. She really needs some outlet right now.

Bellamy walks the border of their camp, gun in hands and eyes scanning the trees and the floor. If Clarke fell in a pit only 50 metres away from camp, then who could know how many more there could be.

With him are Miller, Harper, John and Jasper. They walk it too, looking for anything suspicious. If the grounders have dug these pits, then there could be others things in the forest too.

As Bellamy stomps around the camp, his mind wanders back to Clarke, or more specifically, the guilt he feels over getting her hurt. He was too busy being drunk while she was out there, protecting their people, getting hurt for her people.

What good is he?

"Bellamy? We should get back inside. It's getting late." Harper calls when they start to cross paths. "We didn't find anything, did you?"

Bellamy wanted to keep looking, even though the group have gone over each others routes a few times now, but he follows Harper in. "No, nothing."

She starts going on about pits and how they could use them to their advantage, not only with the grounders but for hunting too. Bellamy wasn't really listening well but he agreed to think it over and have a chat to some people about it.

"Hey, O." He called out, catching his sister's arm as she strode past him. He didn't have anything to talk about but he always likes to check on her.

Octavia stopped walking though she is obviously on her way somewhere important. Bellamy tried not to think about the grounder she has been seeing. The one he had tortured…

"Hey, Bell." She eyed the exit as she spoke, a little grin on her face. "I was just on my way somewhere."

"What did I say about seeing him? It's too dangerous, O."

Octavia shakes his hand off angrily. "Whatever Bellamy. I can see whoever I want." She glares at him. "You can't control me, big brother." With a smirk, she runs out the exit following Lincolns trail of white followers. Bellamy might not like him anywhere near his sister, but he has to give the man props for thinking of something so simple but romantic. The dude has some game…for a forest man.

With a renewed foul mood, Bellamy heads further into camp, hoping to find something to eat and nothing to do. Apparently he can have only one of those things.

There she stands, obviously in pain and eating some packeted nuts. We are yet to see if these are hallucinogenic or not like the last ones and by the way Clarke was eating them, she will be the one to find out.

"You a bit hungry?"

Clarke swallows but doesn't answer before she pops a few more in her mouth. "Yeah. I just feel…weak."

"Are you okay?" Bellamy asks, taking a bag for himself.

"Yes." She sighs, handing her half eaten bag to Bellamy, who takes it happily and empties the contents into his mouth. "I am just…I think I need to sleep more…and eat." She laughs. "I think I should have listened to you guys."

"Clarke." The two stop and look at Finn, who is giving Bellamy a strange look as he approaches but his attention is quickly turned to the Blonde beside him. "How's your leg today?"

Clarke shifts comfortably and wincing from the pain of it. Bellamy watches from the sidelines, still eating the purplish-green nuts as his eyes flick from Clarke to Finn.

"Fine, thanks."

Finn takes a step closer to her, his hand reaching out to hers. "It didn't look like it when you fell down."

Clarke is fast to move her hand before Finn grabs it. "It's fine, Bellamy helped me." She suddenly looks up at the silent man, her eyes almost pleading for something.

Bellamy stops mid-chew and swallows. They exchange a silent look and Bellamy clears his throat. "Look, Collins." He comes to stand closer to Clarke, acting confident in what he was doing. But inside, he is really hoping she wanted his gone. "Princess is tired and doesn't need the bother right now." He stands a little more in-between Clarke and Finn.

Finn frowns, looking down at Clarke. "Clarke…"

Bellamy turns back to Clarke, looking at her eyes. She looks…troubled. But fore he could do anything else, she sighs and starts talking. "Finn. Bellamy's right. I need to sleep." She starts to hobble away, heading for the drop ship. "Bellamy. I need to change those bandages today."

Bellamy keeps his eyes on Finns but doesn't return the glare. "Sure thing Princess."

Finn makes a very unimpressed noise, waiting for Clarke to be t of ear shot. "I've said it before. "Get your own nickname, Blake."

Bellamy just smiles and walks away, realising that being a dick to Finn is actually a little fun. _'Maybe I should do that more often…the ass deserves it anyway…'_

As Clarke settles down in the drop ship, her art pad on her lap, she begins sketching something. Eyes. They are brown and a little soft. They stare back at her, making her feel sad and sick. She starts some more, darker and serious. These make her nervous, a spark shooting thought her, zapping her spine and making her back tingle. Suddenly she runs the coarse lead over the first eyes then the second.

"Those two will be the death of me." She mumbles but looks back at the page. The eyes are still obvious enough so she closes the book and lies down. Finn is so…awkward now and Bellamy is enjoying the boys outcast status, it seems, since he is so quick to stand in Finn way.

 _'Bellamy is a good body guard…'_ Clarke laughs. _'Maybe I need Bellamy as my body guard…just like Octavia said, I do need one.'_


	6. Broken tents and realisation

_~I walk slowly, my leg supporting my weight perfectly, no pain radiating through me._

 _I walk strong._

 _There are birds in the trees, singing a song that I feel is for me, or at least, something I feel comfort from. I let my eyes close and hum along, ignoring the slip-ups when I can't follow their tune. I am relaxed, calm and so warm. There is a heat, like the sun, beating down on me. But the sun is not reaching through the trees thick coverage._

 _I am not in the camp, I realize. I am walking through the forest, unprotected and alone._

 _But I feel safe, too._

 _'Clarke…'_

 _I sigh, a dreamy sound escaping my lips, and turn to find the voices owner._

 _He is nowhere to be seen._

 _'Clarke?'_

 _There he stands, Bellamy. He is shirtless, holding that sweaty shirt like in the drop ship the day I snapped my leg. He smiles, rubbing the shirt on his chest._

 _I may like what I see, but it's strange. Not a normal thing for Bellamy to do. Unless…_

 _'Are you drunk again, Bellamy?'_

 _'You look like an Angel.' He speaks, suddenly in front of me in a blink, his hand brushing my hair back. He brings his face close, his eyes closing and his lips nearing mine._

"Clarke!"

With a jolt, followed closely by pain, Clarke slings her body up right, sitting up on the med cot. She can feel the sweat pouring down her face, taste it as her lips part.

Bellamy sits by her side, looking startled and a little confused. "Hey…"

"What?"

"Okay…" He stands. "I came to see how you were doing…Octavia said you were moaning in your sleep…seemed in pain." He looked around, searching for something. "Here." He poured some water. "Drink."

Clarke thanks him quickly and downs the cup in two gulps. "Thanks." She mumbled again. "I'm fine."

"Look An...Clarke…" Bellamy turns a little, his face turned away. "You were mumbling in your sleep." He smiles back at her, a playful smirk she knows well. "You were mumbling about a guy." He comes close, the smirk still going strong. "Looks like the princess needs to find himself a new prince."

Clarke closes her eyes, and tries not to think about the dream she had just now. The dream where she almost kissed Bellamy… "Get back."

Bellamy snorts. "Just stay away from Miller…He's a player…He will hurt you."

"I don't want Miller." Clarke exclaims in a hushed but very annoyed voice. "I don't want anyone here!"

"Well, well…is the Princess waiting for someone from the Ark?" Bellamy sounded interested, but his face said something else. He was obviously annoyed too.

Clarke sighs. She wasn't lucky in the friends department on the Ark, not when her mother was on the council and her father was high up and a constant report to the officials. Kids tented to steer clear for the most part, wanting their not-so-legal activities to stay out of the councils know. Not that Clarke would have mentioned it, unless it was dangerous to anyone…but kids will be kids…and she was excluded.

"No…Wells was pretty much all I had." Clarke mumbles, trying to keep the pain of his death out of her voice. It still hurts her, knowing what he id for her…and how she treated him.

It got awkward pretty quickly, Bellamy looking at something on the wall above her and Clarke staring at him.

She decides to break the silence before it got unbearable. "What about you…got someone coming down for you?" Clarke asked casually, but she realizes that she is genuinely curious. Bellamy has never been one to share much about him self, Clarke has noticed. Though so far she knows he loves his family very much and would be anything to protect the ones he loves. Oh, and he tried to kill the Chancellor…

Bellamy shakes his head. "Not really." He shrugs. "There is this girl…but she and I… we were never that serious. I mean, she probably doesn't really care I'm gone." He clears his throat.

Clarke frowns at the thought of some girl who, judging by the hurt look in Bellamy's eyes, meant something to him could make hi think she can forget he is missing.

"I doubt she has forgotten you. I bet she does miss you, a lot." Clarke smiles, hoping to make him feel less depressed. By the slight change in his expression, she claims that it worked.

"Yeah, maybe." He clears his throat roughly. "So the pain isn't giving you much trouble today?"

"No. Actually, I think I need to go for a walk."

Bellamy suddenly perks up. "Do you? Because you need to rest that leg as much as you can…"

"No…I want to go outside…its hot and stuffy in here. I don't know how I fell asleep in here in the first place." Clarke slowly gets to her feet, keeping almost all of the weight off of her left leg. "Excuse me."

Bellamy clears his throat and move aside, letting the broken princess through, silently hoping she won't go to her tent.

The two emerge from the drop ship beside each other, Bellamy offering a hand to help but she promptly ignores it. Within the few seconds Monty and Jasper is flying about in front of her, and Bellamy is ready to knock them out.

"Hey Clarke! How are you today? Look, I'm sorry about knocking down the wall onto your tent…"

"Yeah, we didn't mean too…we were just trying to help out the meat guys. They wanted more room for storage…"

Clarke froze, staring at the two boys in front of her. "What are you talking about?"

Bellamy groans. "You two are so stupid…"

Jasper 'Hey's Bellamy, and after being ignored, turns back to the confused and rapidly angering Clarke. "So…long story short… Monty, Harper and me…and a few others, were trying to make a small hut for storage. Bellamy ordered it." He quickly sent the pissed man an apologetic look. "We were trying to get it connected to the outer wall and Bang!" Jasper throws his hands in the air. "And say good bye to Clarkes, Millers and Finns tents!"

Clarke stares at the two, anger creeping up slowly. "You didn't think to get more help?" She shot back, not leaving out the venom in her words. "What are we meant to do now? Sleep outside?"

"It's hot enough." Jasper tried to joke. It falls flat. "Look, Clarke. We are really sorry. We can give you our tent. Miller and Finn can share with someone else."

Clarke didn't want to hear any more. Every word said about it was hurting her ears and making her stomach knot. "Okay, okay. I will just stay with Harper or someone." With a sour tone in her voice, she dismissed the two stupid-smart guys in front of her.

"Oh and Clarke!" Monty turned back before he got far. "There was a grounder sighting today." He points to the south side of camp. "From the south. He was carrying his weapons drawn."

"Why didn't you wake me?" She stomps forwards, hissing as pain attacked her.

Bellamy stepped in, reminding Clarke that he was standing beside her. "He's gone. That's all that matters now." He grips Clarke arm lightly. "Come get something to eat."

Clarke groans, filthy that they wreaked her tent, there was a grounder and no one woke her and on top of all that, her leg is still so sore.

"You realise you couldn't have done a thing about the grounder, so why would you think we would wake you."

Clarke ignores his statements. "When was he here?"

"About an hour ago, maybe longer."

"Then how do you know he's gone?" Clarke stops hobbling, facing the tall man. "He could still be out there."

"He's not. We've been watching in all directions, in the trees, the bushes, everything. He's gone."

Clarke nods. "And you decided that hiding out in the drop ship would be better for you?"

"Someone had to make sure he didn't get in somehow and try to assassinate the princess, right."

"Stop calling me Princess." Clarke mumbles, hating the nickname more than her painful leg. "I hate it."

Bellamy hums long and thoughtfully. "Sure, I have been thinking about what that asshole said anyway…"

Without looking away from him, Clarke glares at Bellamy, knowing whom he was talking about. "What did he say?"

A smile takes Bellamy's face, immediately lifting Clarke's dark mood slightly. "A new nickname. I've got something…I'll let you know soon…" He twitched one corner of his mouth up. "Clarke."

Clarke realizes, as she stares at Bellamy, his crooked smile, dark eyes holding so much care and love for people that mean something to him... she realizes that she has feelings for him.


	7. Confrontation and comfort

Clarke is aware that she is pretty and knows that she can flirt well enough, but something about flirting with Bellamy…especially now she has come to realize she has feelings for him...it just doesn't come naturally.

So as she stands next to the man, eating little berries and dries meat, her stomach is turning sour and her throat is a little tight.

"Clarke." She jumps, flinching at his mumbled voice as he chews. Bellamy doesn't take notice of his frightening her. "I think you'll have a problem with sleeping with Harper tonight." He nods over the fire, at two figures wrapped around each other as they trip into the girl's tent.

"Was that Harper and Miller?" Clarke sighs, hating her next option. "Well…do you think…maybe…" She looks around the camp. "Your sister might want to share?"

"With Lincoln?" Bellamy snorts. "I hate that he is here…but he is helping us…I guess." He sighs, ripping more meat with his teeth. "I'm sure you can ask though…"

Clarke sighs too, but reaches for her drink. "No, it's fine. None of the other girls are in tents empty enough. I'm not about to sleep in a crowded guys tent." One option left.

Bellamy leans forward. "One option left, Clarke." He eyes her seriously.

Suddenly her throat closes up again. "Yeah. The drop ship." She forces out. "The cot isn't so bad. There are blankets. It's not that cold anyway. I should be fine." She smiles and shoves more berries into her mouth to stop any more nervous words that might come out of her mouth.

"Oh yeah, true." Bellamy nods, leaning back from her. "The drop ship." It was just a mumble, soft and under his breath, but Clarke heard it. "…right."

The next day was a little colder than usual, forcing the kids to rug up a little bit, making them slower and more reluctant to work. Clarke was no exception. Her leg was aching in the colder weather and her neck is killing her from a horrible nights sleep.

Everyone they could spare was working on the new storage hut and reconstructing the crushed tents. By the end of the day, it was clear that the fabric if the smashed tents were done for.

"So…this means more people squashed in each others tents then…?"

Clarke almost squeals as Finn silently comes to stand by her, making him known with a stupid question. "Err…yeah. Yes I guess so." He has been sneaking up on her for weeks, trying to get a conversation out of her. Anything he can get, but Clarke just wants him to leave her alone.

"Where are you sleeping now then?" He is facing her now, full body, giving her his full and undivided attention. It was unnecessary and uncomfortable.

Clarke pushes her emotions down. "That doesn't matter right now." She calmly looks away, watching the people working their way through the build of the hut.

Bellamy is helping, of course. He helps hold a wall up as Jasper hammers the metal shards into place and Monty comes in after to tie it was strong vines. Though, to get his to help, Clarke had to all but threaten him to do so. The man has been buzzing around her like a fly all day, telling her that she needs someone around in case she needs help.

One thing Clarke knows she is not, is a damsel. Never, will Clarke need someone to come to her rescue every time something happens. So, needless to say, Clarke had given the man a lecture on her independence and sent him off.

'Think' of the devil. Bellamy, like he sensed where she was, looked over to Clarke, smiling wide as he strained to keep the heavy wall up. There is something about guys exerting themselves that seems to be extra attractive.

Clarke groans and turns away, ignoring Bellamy's smile and Finns irritable voice.

"Clarke, I still don't see why you want to listen to Bellamy…to trust him." Finn takes a few long strides to catch up to her. "He is bad news."

"No, Finn. Okay…just listen." She feels anger bubbling up, followed by something more. Clarke closes her eyes momentarily; hoping she can push it down. "I don't think he is bad news. He has done more for this camp than you. He cares more than you and he is…"

Finn frowns. "What are you talking about! He is an asshole! He is just using you!"

"Oh, you're one to talk, Finn! How about how you used me!" Clarke feels something snap inside her, sick of his badgering and longing looks. "You used me while you had a girlfriend, while you had someone waiting to see you again! Not only that! You hurt her so much worse than me! Finn, you are the bad one here!" She gasps when she leans on her left leg. "You hurt me. You hurt Raven!"

"Clarke, hold on-" He reaches for her arm.

"No!" Clarke pulls away and whips her hand across his face, snapping his head to the side. "Don't touch me!"

Suddenly, it was quiet. So quiet that all that could be heard was Clarkes breathing and the echo of the slap fading into the forest.

Clarkes teary eyes focus on someone in the background behind Finn and the tears fall freely, fast and heavy. Raven stares back, tears in her eyes too. Before the beautiful woman turns away, she nods once at Clarke then quickly disappears into a tent.

Finn is still staring at Clarke, in shock from the slap and maybe the word said, too. Clarke makes a sad sound between a grunt and a whimper as she turns from Finn, hobblingly back to the drop ship to cry alone. The others don't need any more of a show and they don't need to see her so weak.

Clarke wasn't in the ship for a minute before Octavia stomps in. She doesn't say a word, just sits with Clarke and holds her, petting her hair slowly. Clarke doesn't know when she fell asleep, but it wasn't until she cried until her eyes were dry.

Again, Clarke wakes to a slightly unfamiliar bed and pain. This time, there is someone with her. Holding her. Sleeping beside her.

Before she could panic her memory came back and she turns to see Octavia sleeping beside her. A little confused but grateful for her company, Clarke slips out for Octavia's arm, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

Clarke almost trips. "Seriously! Why does sneaking up on me seen to be everyone's choice of interaction with me?"

Bellamy comes to stand by her, leaving his make shift bed against the opposite wall from where Octavia and Clarke slept. "Sorry." He looks her over in the dark, focusing in on her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Clarke nods, knowing her words will not come out right. Though before she can keep walking outside, Bellamy pulls her in for a hug, holding her so tight it almost hurts.

They stand like that for what feels like hours but once he lets her go, Clarke suddenly feels like it was only a second and wants more.

"Finn…he needs to check himself." Bellamy shakes his head. "I will make sure he stays away from you."

Clarke snorts. "You can't be around me _all_ the time, Bellamy."

"I can try." He smiles, his white teeth flashing in the darkness. Suddenly something Octavia said a while ago come back to her, something about needing a bodyguard… Clarke knows having Bellamy around all time wouldn't bad…well once it might not have been…but now, when she has feelings for him…

"I see O didn't leave last night." He looks over at his sister. "I hope she wasn't intruding."

Clarke shakes her head, more to get the thoughts out of her head than to answer him. "No, she wasn't. I think I needed someone with me. I'm happy she came in."

"Then I'm happy." Bellamy then rubs his fist. "But, I won't be satisfied until I knock that little shits teeth out." Clarke could tell his was joking around, but something told her he wanted to punch him.

Clarke couldn't help but think about asking it of Bellamy, too. But that's the last thing it needs. Violence. More violence, to be exact.

Shame suddenly fills Clarke. "Oh no…I slapped him." She hides her face in her hands, her lips trembling with the threat of tears. "I can't believe it did that…"

"I can't believe you hadn't already."

Clarke looks up at him, the tears fading. "Funny." She sniffs. "I need something to eat."

"I can get you something…"

"No, I want to go outside."

"Don't be stupid, you need to rest."

"That's all I've been doing for the past few weeks. Move."

"No. Sit before I make you."

"Try it and I'll make my slapping score bump up a few."

"Scary, An-"

"My god! You two are like an old married couple! I'll get the food!" Octavia groans and stomps out of the drop ship, shooting the two an irritated look.

Bellamy grins, pleased that someone else other than Clarke is getting the food. The smirk usually charms. Not tonight.

Clarke reaches back and slaps. Not hard, just enough to sting, not enough to turn his head though.

"Weak." Bellamy states and grips her wrist tightly. "Next time, come at me with all you've got." He leans close, his lips so close to her cheekbone. "I'll give it back…" so close now.

Clarke almost moves closer but he lets go, turning from her and heading out. He leaves with a pointed look and a crooked smile.


	8. Rain and Touching Skin

As Bellamy stares into the forest, his gun ready in his hands, his mind can't help but wander. Clarke has been weird around him for weeks and even worse these past few days.

With his head getting heavy from the hour and length of his watch, Bellamy signals the next shift. "Miller, call up the next one in two hours."

"But you just had an eight hour watch…"

"Two hours."

Miller decides arguing wasn't the answer and nodded when he takes his place on the watch post.

Bellamy clears his throat as he walks towards his tent as sleep threatens to down him right there and then. The eight-hour shift has taken its toll on him, starting at sun down, it must he the early morning.

"Hey, how are you still standing?"

The voice immediately perks Bellamy up, his attention heightened as he looks for her. "I have a better question. Why are you standing?" There, by the dying fire. "Get back to sleep."

"I can't. My leg is playing up."

"Then get off it!" He almost moans, the amount of times he had to repeat himself to her about her leg is ridiculous.

As he comes to stand by her she smiles and Bellamy tries to smile back but something feels awkward about it. "I'm tired."

"I know you are. Standing up there for who knows how many hours. You shouldn't push yourself like that." Clarke doesn't look at him as she speaks, instead she watches the burning embers and flames as they stress for more wood, dying slowly in the soft breeze.

Bellamy catches himself staring at her, a small smile on his lips. She is beautiful, scarred and broken but so beautiful. She fits, in this place, in this warm light from the fire, in this world. But she is something more, like a saviour. Bellamy knows the little things she does and says to people, to him, are like an anchor. She keeps them straight. She keeps him sane.

"Angel."

"What?" Clarke frowns, looking so startled that Bellamy freezes up. What did he say? Why is she looking so confused? Clarke started to smile. "What did you say?"

"I need some sleep." He opts out of confessing his secret name for her, as perfect as it is. "You should try to get some too."

Clarke watches him slowly make his way to his tent, her eyes shamelessly roaming his body. Recently Miller has been absent from their tent, leaving Bellamy alone most nights. Clarke, with her vivid artists imagination, has been having many dreams involving herself and the dark and handsome man…in his vacant tent.

With heat and tingles making her goofy, Clarke hurries to the drop ship and tries not to think about Miller and Harper doing their thing in her tent. Or think about doing something similar to Bellamy in his.

Rain.

Heavy, pounding and torrential rain bombards the camp. With most tents held together with branches an vines, many of the beds and resting areas were soaked and had fallen into a muddy mess. With nothing to d but wait it out, the camp all rush into the drop ship, huddling together to keep warm.

With a healing bone and limited space, Clarke tries to keep her temper under wraps. Luckily for her, Octavia, Monty and Jasper make a kind of human wall around her and the sodden pack of roughens.

"Nothing is changing. The rain is still gushing down…at this rate the area will flood…" Raven reports, stiff and robotic as she keeps her eyes tight on Octavia, despite her addressing Clarke.

It's awkward with Raven and Clarke knows it will be for some time, but nothing should stand in their way on fixing it and becoming friends…or at the very least, civil with each other.

Clarke smiles at the dark eyed woman. "Thank you, Raven." She smiles again when their eyes meet. Raven nods and steps through the crowd, making her way to the few guys she has befriended.

Monty swivels around to face Clarke, his legs entwined with hers and his face only inches from hers. If it were anyone else bar Monty or Jasper her slapping streak would be rising from 2.

"So, if this rain continues…what are we gonna do?" Monty looks over at Jasper and makes a strained face. "I don't want to sleep in here with all these people…" Jasper raises a hand and agrees.

Clarke sighs. "I don't like it either, but at the moment this is the best we have…unless you want to sleep in the mud?"

"Some times I think that would be better…" Bellamy mumbles as he stomps through kids and forces his way beside his sister. "Have you got a whiff of some of these kids?" He shoots a glare at some people far off. "They should use the rain as a bathing opportunity.

"You don't smell like roses either, big brother." Octavia shoots and stands, stomping her way through, just like her brother.

Clarke smiles she the younger girl kicks a guys hand out from behind him, causing an eruption of laughter through the drop ship. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She just pissed I told Lincoln to go back to his people instead of coming in here with us…"

Clarke nodded, knowing that must have pissed her off well and truly. "Well, what else is a big brother for other than annoying his little sister…"

"Lots of things…" He grins.

Clarke grins back, not thinking about anything but how his eyes crinkle and his strong, sexy lips turn so innocent-like. "Like what?"

"Like making other feelings c-"

"Like get a room you two!" Jasper calls and pretends to look for the speaker. "How rude, who said that. Sorry." He laughs and shakes his head. "Some people." He grins.

Bellamy clears his throat. "Well, how's your leg?" With that, Monty and Jasper snort, trying to cover their laughs…and failing. They don't miss out on one of Bellamys signature glares, which turn more sour as he takes in how close and involved Monty was to Clarke.

Clarke moves a little away, getting Monty a small smile. With a knowing look Monty give Jasper some sort of signal and they shuffle away slightly. Clarke tries not to think about it too much.

"Okay, I can move it pretty well, but all this cramming together…I don't think it's doing me any good."

"Want to stretch it out more?" He grips her ankle, pulling it lightly and letting her rest it on his leg. "Put your foot behind me…" He directs her leg over his and elbows the guy behind her in the back. "Oi, move forward."

Clarke stays quiet as she lets Bellamy rest her leg over his crossed one. He looks it over, then nods. Somehow though, she can't seem to be as pleased with his work as he is.

"How's that now?"

Clarke can feel that it's better, the strain on the break easing, but the hot tingles are getting worse the longer her leg is draped over him. She nods, knowing her voice would be stuck.

Bellamy smiles, his attention back on her leg. "It looks good." He clears his throat. "Where you broke it, I mean. Not your leg." He frowns. "Not that your leg looks bad, it's good. I like it." He closes his eyes. "Shit."

"Dude…" Monty groans.

Ignoring his vocal audience, Bellamy sighs long and slow and starts again. "The injury looks better."

Clarke can't help it but laugh loud. "My god! I have never heard you sound so awkward before! It doesn't suit you." She laughs softly and looks down at her semi-covered leg. Her pants, ripped and hole-filled, come to mid thigh now and she is very aware of her bare calf touching his skin where his shirt has risen. "And I think my leg looks better, too." She grins.

Bellamy laughs breathlessly. "But for the record, your legs are nice, too."

Clarke doesn't know what to say back to him, she just stares until a poke to her back startles her into speech. "Now you're too over confident! Don't you have a middle setting?" She jokes, trying to cover her nerves.

Bellamy grins and winks, knowing full well what his charm can do to people, but thinking that something like that could never work on Clarke.


End file.
